Breaking the secret to Lily
by Dione-chan
Summary: The Marauders tell Lily about their animagus abilities.


Title: Breaking the secret to Lily

Raiting: K+

Disclaimer: HP is not mine

AN: My first English fic. Thanks to my beta Hannah!

The Marauders tell Lily about their animagus abilities

Breaking the secret to Lily

Lily took the pot of tea she just made and went into the living room where her fiancé and his three friends where waiting. All four young men looked kind of nervous and she wondered what they wanted to tell her. James had come up to her that morning and told her that he has something he wanted to talk about. Lily wondered what it be and had gotten even more suspicious when the other three Marauders had shown up at their house shortly after lunch, all looking quite uneasy.

Lily looked around the table, taking in the oppressive silence and wondered again what this was all about. She filled the cups, already sitting on the small table, before she took the seat next to James.

"Ok, could you four tell me what this is all about? You look like someone is going to bite your heads off." Lily asked, slightly irritated.

James took a deep breath before he started to speak. "Well, Lily. You've asked us, more than once, why we have those nicknames, and we always told you that they're only for fun."

Lily nodded, not sure where this would lead.

"This isn't exactly true." James continued and Lily lifted her eyebrows. Why would anyone be called Prongs for a reason? Or Wormtail?

"So you want to tell me that being called Prongs isn't some kind of strange Marauder humour? Why are you telling me this now?" Lily asked, her gaze never leaving James.

"The reason is that we…well…you and Prongs are getting married and we earned those names in a not totally legal way. That's why we hadn't said anything, but now we think that you have a right to know." Sirius answered her, instead of James. He was sitting opposite Lily and next to his boyfriend, who looked like death warmed over. Remus had his hands folded on the table top, they were visibly shaking, and his face was white as a sheet.

Lily looked at Sirius with narrowed eyes. "In a not legal way? What have you done now?" Lily glared at them, especially James, who started to squirm around his chair under her burning gaze. She knew that the Marauders did some really crazy stuff back at school, but she never thought that they would do something against the law.

"Don't be mad at them Lily. It's all my fault." Remus spoke quietly. His eyes, for the first time, left his folded hands and looked straight at her.

"Nothing is your fault! And we decided to do this for you! You never asked for it and we never told you because you would try to talk us out of it!" Sirius exploded.

His outburst confused Lily even more. The whole conversation got more mysterious by the second. She watched the couple in front of her. Sirius, glared at Remus in a way that clearly said that this wasn't the first time they argued over this. Remus didn't response to Sirius's outburst; he only let out a defeated sigh.

He was an intelligent and capable man and Lily couldn't see why he would be in need of help – illegal help to boot. She rubbed her face, exhausted. This was for sure the most confusing conversation she had ever had.

James and his friends were telling her that they had done something illegal to help Remus and that this event, or what ever, had inspired those strange nicknames. On the other hand, it sounded like Remus wasn't part of the plan, but still he was called Moony by his friends.

"Ok. If I've got you right – You," she pointed a finger at James, "Sirius and Peter did something illegal to help Remus, but he wasn't part of it."

"Yes. He didn't know anything until the time we got it right." James affirmed her thoughts.

"And what was it you had done actually? Remus seems very capable to me. Why would he need help, especially illegal help.

Lily took a sip of her tea to calm her nerves before she looked at the circle of young men.

Remus took a deep breath like he was preparing for something unpleasant to come. His voice shaking a little as he finally started to talk.

"I'm sure you noticed that I'm sick very often?" Lily nodded and Remus continued, not waiting for her to respond.

"The reason for this is… I'm suffering from Lycanthropy." Remus took another deep breath and waited for Lily's reaction to this news, preparing himself for the rejection sure will to come, but still he wished that Lily would be as accepting as his friends were. Only vaguely he felt Sirius place a comforting hand on the small of his back.

"You are…a werewolf?" Lily asked in disbelief. "Are you serious? Because this is no joke, you know."

"This isn't a joke Lily. I was bitten when I was a small boy." Remus told Lily.

His whole body was visibly shaking now. She watched the tawny haired man, and on an impulse she laid her warm hand on top of his ice cold ones. Remus looked her in the eyes and relief washed over him, as he saw the acceptance and sympathy in her green depths.

"So that's why those morons call you Moony? Because of your connection to the moon?" It wasn't really a question, more a statement. Remus smiled a little and nodded. His face had gained some colour, since he now knew that Lily would not scorn him for what he was.

The other Marauders were just as relieved as Remus over Lily's reactions to his condition, and they smiled like a big weight had been lifted from them.

Sirius's and James's smiles were especially broad, Sirius because he knew how hard it was for Remus to talk about his Lycanthropy, and James was more than happy over the fact that Lily reacted the way she did, after hearing that one of his best mates was a werewolf.

The first part was done, now the Marauders only had to tell Lily that they had become illegal animagi. They hoped she would accept it just as easily as Remus`s being a werewolf.

Lily let go of Remus`s hands and wound one around James's with a loving smile; once more he had shown her that he wasn't only a big- mouthed show off as she had first thought. She was also impressed by Sirius, who loved Remus despite his illness. She would tell them how much she appreciated their actions later, when she got the chance to talk alone with them.

Perhaps she could talk to Remus too. There were so many questions she would like to ask, but now wasn't the right time for them. First, the other Marauders had yet to enlighten her about their nicknames, and Remus looked like he had enough excitement for the day. Peter hadn't said anything since he and others arrived. He only sat by the table, green around his nose and sipping his tea. Lily watched him for a moment. In the last few months he seemed to become somehow distant. He wasn't visiting as often and was even more quiet than usual. Perhaps the whole war was taking much more out of him than of the rest of them. Lily stopped wondering about Peter and got back to the topic at hand.

"Well, now I know that Remus is a werewolf. But, I have no clue what the rest is all about. I don't think there is anything to cure Lycanthropy?"

James looked grave for a moment. "No there isn't. The situation is…Remus, is it ok if I tell?"

James looked at his friend, who now rested his head on the chest of his boyfriend. Remus sat up again and told Lily himself instead, "It isn't fun to be a werewolf. The transformations are very painful and…" He paused. "When a wolf is alone through the full moon, and there is no prey…, he faltered again. "The wolf starts to hurt himself." To emphasize this statement he pulled his shirt up, revealing a nasty scar on his belly from one of the full moons.

Lily felt her heart tighten, and she clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. "Isn't there anything you could do to prevent this?" Lily asked, her voice shaking.

James saw how much Remus`s situation touched Lily, and he wound a comforting arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his body. "Yes, there is –company."

He responded while he let his fingers wander comfortingly though her red hair. Lily lifted her head from James shoulder and looked at him in wonder.

"Company while in human or in wolf form?" As if anyone could stay near a transformed werewolf, right?

"As much as we love being around Moony when he is all human and prefect-ly, we also stay with him when he gets all furry and scary." James joked to lighten the oppressive mood a little. Remus sent James a half-hearted glare, but in his eyes shone the gratefulness he felt for what his friends had done for him. Sirius snickered, and even Peter smiled.

Lily lifted her head from James shoulder and looked at him in disbelief.

No human could stay near a werewolf during the full moon. The wolf would bite the human, damning another to the same ungodly fate, or worse, killing the unlucky victim on the spot. Or would that perhaps be the more merciful fate?

"Uhuh, you want to tell me that you stay with Remus through the full moons? Don't be ridiculous." Lily shook her head in scepticism. "You know that isn't possible. You would get infected or killed."

The boys smiled secretively at Lily, which only irritated her more. The Marauders were having a little too much fun right now for her liking, and it seemed that they had lost most of their worries over the things they had to tell her.

"You think you're really funny, don't you. Now, please tell me what's going on. I'm not up for your stories."

"Lily flower please don't get angry. We aren't making anything up." Sirius tried to calm her down while James pulled her back against his shoulder, but she wasn't up for snuggling at that moment. She pulled back again, sending an angry glare at her fiancé.

"Listen, Lily. You are forgetting something. Werewolves are only a danger to humans." Sirius said, recalling their DADA lessons from school. Lily also tried to remember the subject and nodded at Sirius's comment. But still, James, Sirius and Peter were humans and not animals, so how could this help Remus? Lily shook her head and flicked a stray strand of red hair out of her eyes.

"Oh, and you think you're an animal, or what?" Lily asked with a trace of sarcasm.

"In fact, yes. I'm a dog. Padfoot to be exact." Sirius grinned proudly.

"Sure you're a dog, and how is this…" Lily cut herself off. At first she had thought Sirius wanted to make fun of her, but then she remembered her former transfiguration teacher. Professor McGonagall was able to turn into a cat. She was an animagus, a very difficult and not completely harmless kind of magic. That's why the ministry kept very close eyes at those capable of turning into an animal. Furthermore, learning this kind of magic illegally could get you a nice holiday behind the walls of Azkaban.

Lily looked for the umpteenth time at the circle of Marauders. James and Sirius were very good students and would be able to pull something like that. Peter wasn't as clever as them but with the necessary help who knows, perhaps he could do it too.

"You are animagi?" She finally managed to say. "I assume you are not registered. That's why you told me you did something illegal."

James, Sirius and Peter nodded in union.

"You are really insane, you know?" Lily said to them, shock and pride warring in her voice.

James smiled at his fiancée and pulled her in his arms, until he saw of the corner of his eyes how Sirius left his chair. The next moment Lily felt something heavy in her lap.

Abruptly she looked down to check what it was and came face to face with the head of a gigantic black, shaggy dog. Without thinking she jumped up and away from the table and the animal.

"What the hell!" Lily exclaimed, startled, and the boys started to laugh.

Lily overcame her first shock and, after she looked around the room, she noticed that Sirius was missing from his seat. With growing awareness she looked the dog over; it was big, black and had pale grey eyes just like Sirius. The dog's tongue hung out, and he looked like he was laughing at her, too.

"Wow, that's wicked!" Lily went up to have a closer look.

"Lily, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Padfoot." A grinning James announced.

"Well, hello there Padfoot. Nice to meet you." Lily now played along and let her hands wander though the dog's thick fur. A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that it was Sirius she was showering with caresses, but she ignored it.

James and Remus smiled at Lily and Padfoot who were obviously having fun together.

Peter watched them in silence, with a small smile on his lips.

Lily now knelt next to Padfoot and caressed first his back and then his belly when he had turned around, showing it to her like a real dog would do. She didn't stop before the fluffy fur changed into soft cotton and she found her hands wandering around on Sirius's ribcage.

Blushing, she pulled her hands away. Sirius barked a laugh and sat up, since he still lay on the floor. James and Remus snickered too.

You know Sirius, that was really mean." James told his friend and held his hand out to him that he could pull him up onto his feet. Sirius accepted the help but only smilingly shrugged off James comment.

"Now, Miss Evans," Sirius turned to the red haired woman." Don't you think that I should finally introduce you to Mr. Prongs and Mr. Wormtail?" he asked ostentatiously.

Lily shook her head, laughing. "I think you should," she said, watching James, who searched for a place in the living room where he has enough space to change.

"Now dear Lily, let me introduce to you Mr. Prongs." Sirius made a cantilevered gesture towards James, who by then stood in the centre of the room.

After Sirius's pompous introduction, he bowed shortly to his fiancé and transformed. Lily gasped at the sigh of the mighty stag in her living room.

"That's fantastic!" Lily whispered, crossing the room to have a closer look at Prongs. She reached out with unsure hands to pet his neck. The fur wasn't as soft as Padfoot`s but she still liked the feeling of it under her fingers. Prongs gently nudged her neck with his soft snout and Lily laughed. Eventually she stopped her ministrations on the stag who normally was her fiancé and she turned to Peter. The one she had yet to see in his animal form.

"I hope I won't make you stand on the next chair." Peter joked and the others snickered.

James transformed back into his human form while Peter turned into an animal.

Lily wondered at first where he had gone, because she couldn't see anything. But, then a gray animal came around the table into sight. Lily looked at the rat and smiled. She took it up and placed Wormtail on her shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm not one of those girls who run screaming when I see a rat or a mouse. In fact, I think they are cute."

For a few minutes Lily played with Wormtail. She let him wander around her shoulders and over her arms before she put him back onto the ground, and Peter transformed back.

After everyone was seated again Lily wanted to know, "How long have you been able to transform?"

"Since fifth year." Sirius smiled, not without a streak of pride. Lily could only gape at them disbelievingly.

"Fifth year?! You're joking!" The four young men shook their heads.

"It is true." Remus remembered the first time his friends had come to him in the Shack and announced that they would stay the night with him. It was one of the best days of his life.

Lily, however, had her doubts but didn't say anything.

"And how many people know about this?" She made a vague gesture with her hand.

"About Remus`s Lycanthropy, all the teachers, us, and thanks to this moron," James pointed an accusing finger at Sirius, "that greasy git Snape."

Lily's face went dark for a short moment after James had offended Severus but reminded herself what person had her once friend had become. So, she didn't do anything to defend him. "About the animagus transformation, you are the only person we've ever told," James continued.

This surprised Lily even more. "Not even Dumbledore knows about this?!"

"No. Only we five and please, Lily, don't tell anyone. You know what would happen if we got caught. We will end up in Azkaban, and that's the last place I want to be." James looked at her both pleadingly and earnestly.

Lily smiled at James and looked at the other Marauders, whose faces mirrored James's feelings.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't tell anyone. You are my friends, I understand why you have done it and most of all, I don't want to have my future husband locked up in Azkaban while I'm alone with our child."

Lily smiled innocently at the Marauders appalled faces after she had revealed her own little secret.

Fin

I hope you liked the fic, and please leave a review.


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